Governor Mead Approves Rules for Grizzly Hunt

Cheyenne - Today, Governor Matt Mead approved rules put forth by the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission that allow hunting grizzly bears. The rules establish the hunting season and boundaries, the number and sex of bears and types of firearms that can be used. The quotas are consistent with the allocations established together by Idaho, Montana and Wyoming under the tristate agreement endorsed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) upon delisting.

“Wyoming values its wildlife and effectively manages them for everyone’s benefit,” said Wyoming Governor Matt Mead. “Over the past four decades, Wyoming has spent $50 million on grizzly bear recovery and management. As a result of those efforts, grizzly bears exceeded their recovery goals for over a decade, ultimately leading the USFWS to delist them last year. I trust the scientific experts at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to manage bears in a way that ensures they never require federal protection again.”

The Game and Fish received over 3,300 written or online comments regarding the grizzly bear hunt as well as held a series of public meeting where they accepted both oral and written public comments.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission announced Monday that three candidates, one from Wyoming, Montana and Texas, will be submitted to Governor Mark Gordon, who will interview the three candidates and make the appointment of the department’s new director.